Graham Hansen Injured but Likely to Face Chelsea: Barcelona’s Update

FC Barcelona announced through a statement the injury of one of their key players, Caroline Graham Hansen. The forward sustained a muscular injury while on international duty with Norway, who faces Finland on Friday in Oslo for the opening match of the Euro qualifying phase.

Encouraging news arrives from Norway, indicating that Graham Hansen’s participation in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Chelsea on April 20 is not in jeopardy. Although she suffered a muscular injury, it is not deemed severe. The Barcelona statement mentioned Graham Hansen’s right leg muscular injury but did not elaborate further.

Norwegian national team coach Gemma Grainger specified, “It doesn’t seem to be a long-term injury, and we hope Caroline returns to Barcelona with hopes of being available for the next match.”

Barcelona’s next fixture after the international break is a league match against Villarreal on April 13 at 18:30 local time.

Barcelona’s medical staff remains in constant communication with their Norwegian counterparts to coordinate treatment plans.

The hope is that Graham Hansen will not miss any further Barcelona matches, but the definitive diagnosis is yet to be determined. However, Barcelona’s dominance in the domestic league, with a 12-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, allows room for rotations and prioritizing the Champions League.

The first leg against Chelsea will take place at Montjuïc, kicking off at the unusual time of 13:30 to avoid scheduling conflicts with a concert later that evening. The return leg is scheduled at Stamford Bridge, the ‘blue’ temple, on April 27 at 18:30 local time.